Bonus Terms

Comps – A comp is a freebie that the casino will give to players to thank them and encourage them to gamble with the casino, usually to make up for a customer service flaw or when the player asks for it. The size and value of a comp a player may receive depends on how long they have been with a casino, how much they spend and how often they play as well as how many benefits they received previously. In online casinos, comps can be anything from bonuses to free spins or lottery tickets.

Freeplay – Freeplay is when a casino offers the user a chance to play some or all of their casino games free of charge. Freeplay is often used as a new player bonus offering when a player will receive a stated amount of money and a time limit (usually 60 minutes), within which they can spend their free to play cash in the hope of winning enough money to earn a real cash bonus. Other casinos offer the chance to play their machines for free using play cash, rather than real money.

Matched Bonus – A matched bonus is when the casino offers to match a customer’s real cash deposit with some additional cash. A casino may offer these bonuses at different scales. A 100% matched bonus effectively doubles the money the player has available, so if a player deposited $50 into their account with a 100% Matched Bonus deal, they would receive $50 from the casino in bonus cash. Matched bonus cash is subject to withdrawal restrictions and wagering requirements.

No Deposit Bonus – A no deposit bonus is when a player registers with a casino and before they have deposited any real cash into their account, they receive a stated lump sum of cash with which they can play casino games for real money. No deposit bonuses tend to be small usually between $5 and $20 in size.

Playthrough – Another term used for wagering requirements. Playthrough is simply how many times a player must wager their bonus cash (or bonus cash & deposit in some cases) in order to lift the restrictions on withdrawing the money to their personal bank account or credit card. For example, with a 30x playthrough requirement, the player must make $30 worth of bets for every $1 of bonus money before they can withdraw these funds to their bank account.

Promotion – A promotion is an offer that the casino advertises in the hope of attracting new and current customers to participate in a certain game or tournament. Often promotions will see games and bonuses awarded to players or prizes handed out or cash more readily available to be won to encourage players to participate. Promotions can take many different forms and be utilised across a wide range of casino games.

Wagering Requirements – A term often used instead of playthrough. A wagering requirement is simply how many times you must bet your entire bonus, or bonus plus deposit, in order to be able to withdraw the money to your personal account. A bonus with a 50x wagering requirement would therefore require the customer to place $50 worth of bets for every $1 or their bonus money before they can withdraw any money left to their account. Wagering requirements can range from 30x to sometimes over 200x, so be sure to check your casinos terms and conditions before playing.